Power Up Your Plate – Easy Ways to Add Protein to Family Meals

Protein is one of the most essential nutrients for the human body, playing a crucial role in building and repairing tissues, supporting immune function, and maintaining overall health. Whether you’re feeding growing children, active teenagers, or adults looking to maintain muscle mass and energy levels, ensuring your family gets enough protein is key.

In this blog, we’ll be looking at why protein is so important and that very important question, ‘how do I incorporate enough protein into family meals?’

Why is protein important?

Protein is made up of amino acids, often referred to as the “building blocks used to make muscles, skin, organs and even hormones”. It is vital for:

Growth and Development

Protein is essential for growth and development because it plays a key role in building and repairing body tissues. Children and teenagers need extra protein to support their rapid growth and the development of new cells and tissues.

Muscle Health and Maintenance

After exercise or physical activity, especially strength training, muscles develop tiny tears. Protein provides the amino acids needed to repair these tears, which helps muscle to grown back stronger. Protein speeds up muscle recovery after workouts by reducing muscle soreness and aiding tissue repair. As we age or during times of low activity (due to sickness or injury), we naturally lose muscle. Eating enough protein helps to slow this process and preserves lean muscle mass. When dieting, getting enough protein ensures that the body burns fat rather than breaking down muscle for energy.

Immune Function

Protein plays a key role in supporting immune function by helping your body defend itself against illness and infection. Your immune system is made up of cells like white blood cells and antibodies, which are made of proteins. Without enough protein, your body can’t produce these defence cells properly. Antibodies are special proteins that recognise and fight off viruses and bacteria. Protein helps your body produce enough of them to respond to infections. Protein is also needed to repair damaged tissues and help the body recover after illness or injury, which is especially important during and after an infection.

Energy and Satiety

Whilst carbohydrates and fats are the body’s main energy sources, protein can also be used for energy – especially if you are not eating enough of the others. The body breaks down protein into amino acids, which can then be converted into energy when needed. Protein is more filling than carbs or fat. It slows down digestion, which helps you feel full and satisfied for a longer time. This can prevent overeating and reduce cravings and snacking between meals. Eating protein with meals can help prevent spikes and crashes in blood sugar, which keeps your energy more stable throughout the day.

Enzyme and Hormone Production

Many enzymes and hormones in the body, including those that regulate metabolism and digestion, are made from protein. Enzymes are special proteins that speed up chemical reactions in your body, like digestion, energy production, and cell repair. Without enough protein, your body can’t produce the enzymes it needs to function properly. Several key hormones are made from proteins such as insulin (controls blood sugar), growth hormone (important for growth and muscle development) and thyroid hormones (regulate metabolism). These hormones help regulate many body processes like growth, mood metabolism and reproductive health. Protein is crucial for making the messengers (hormones) and tools (enzymes) your body uses to keep everything running smoothly.

So, how much protein do you actually need?

Protein needs vary by age, gender and activity level. According to the department of health and social care here’s a breakdown for average guidelines for healthy individuals with moderate physical activity:

Children (1-3 years) – 14.5g
Children (4-6 years) – 19.7g
Children (7-10 years) – 28.3g
Boys (11-14 years) – 42.1g
Girls (11-14 years) – 41.2g
Boys (15-18 years) – 55.2g
Girls (15-18 years) – 45g
Men (19-50 years) – 55.5g
Women (19-50 years) – 45g
Men (51+ years) – 53.3g
Women (51+ years) – 46.5g
Pregnant women – 51g
Breastfeeding women – 53-56g

People with higher activity levels or specific health conditions may require more protein. If you are an active person and you are wanting to gain muscle, the general protein guideline is 1.2 – 2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

How to Incorporate Protein into Family Meals

Getting enough protein doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Here are some simple and delicious ways to include it in your family’s diet:

Start the Day with a Protein-Packed Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs or omelettes with cheese and vegetables

• Greek yogurt with granola and fruit

• Peanut butter or almond butter on whole-grain toast

• Protein smoothies with milk, bananas, and nut butter

Choose Lean Meats and Poultry

• Incorporate chicken, turkey, or lean cuts of beef into dinners

• Make homemade turkey or chicken burgers instead of processed fast food

• Grill or bake meats instead of frying for a healthier option

Include Plant-Based Proteins

• Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are excellent sources of protein and fibre

• Tofu and tempeh work well in stir-fries and pasta dishes

• Quinoa is a great alternative to rice and contains all nine essential amino acids

Snack on High-Protein Foods

• Hard-boiled eggs

• Cottage cheese with berries

• Hummus with sliced vegetables

• Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds

Upgrade Your Side Dishes

• Replace white rice with quinoa or farro

• Add beans or chickpeas to salads and soups

• Sprinkle cheese on roasted vegetables or pasta dishes

Make Protein-Rich Family Dinners

• Taco Night: Use ground turkey or lean beef, and add black beans for extra protein

• Stir-Fry: Cook chicken, tofu, or shrimp with a mix of colourful vegetables

• Pasta Night: Use whole-wheat pasta and add grilled chicken or shrimp

• Soups and Stews: Make chili with beans and lean ground beef or turkey

Sample menu

Here is a sample menu if you are looking to hit your protein target of 80-100g. Use this as a generic menu and mix and match different fish, meat, pulses, beans and veg etc to give you different variations:

Breakfast: (Greek Yogurt)

170g Fat free Greek yogurt – 17g protein

1 tbsp chia seeds – 2g protein

½ cup berries – 0.5g protein

1 tbsp almond butter – 2g protein

Total – 21.5g protein

Snack: (Boiled eggs & Fruit)

2 boiled eggs – 12g protein

1 small apple or pear – 0.5g protein

Total – 12.5g protein

Lunch: (Grilled Chicken Salad)

100g grilled chicken breast – 30g protein

Mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers

1 tbsp olive oil & vinegar dressing

1 slice wholegrain bread (optional) – 4g protein

Total – 34g protein

Snack: (Protein Shake)

1 scoop whey or plant-based protein – 20g

Water or almond milk

Total – 20g protein

Dinner: (Salmon, Quinoa & Veg)

100g baked salmon – 22g

½ cup cooked quinoa – 4g

Steamed broccoli & carrots – 2g protein

Total – 28g protein

Daily total – 96g protein

There are things you can add to practically every meal to easily incorporate more protein:

You can add eggs into anything – scramble into rice, stir into noodles, have eggs on toast or bake into muffins.
Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or mayonnaise – mix into pasta sauces, dips or sandwiches.
Add cheese where you can – sprinkle on soups, pastas or baked vegetables (use stronger cheeses like parmesan for more flavour in smaller amounts).
Add beans/lentils to stews, soups, salads, tacos or mash into spreads. Tinned beans are easy to use and kid-friendly when mashed or blended.
Use high protein grains such as quinoa, wholewheat pasta or buckwheat pasta.
Add chia, flax seeds, sunflower seeds or crushed nuts onto everything you can. I love all of these on cornflakes in the morning 😊
Use canned tuna, chicken or salmon for sandwiches, salads or wraps. Mix with a little avocado or Greek yogurt for a creamy spread.
Snack on boiled eggs, string cheese, yogurt, roasted chickpeas or trail mix.
Add eggs, Greek yogurt or protein powder to your pancake mix.

How to get enough protein into your kids if they are picky eaters

If you have picky eaters in the family, getting them to eat enough protein can be a challenge. Try the following tactics:

• Make it fun: Cut sandwiches into shapes or make kebabs with meat and veggies.

• Blend it in: Add protein-rich ingredients to smoothies or pasta sauces.

• Try different textures: Some kids prefer crunchy textures, like roasted chickpeas, while others might like creamy textures, like Greek yogurt.

• Get them involved: Let kids help cook. When they have a hand in preparing meals, they’re more likely to eat them.

Try things like scrambled eggs, wholegrain toast and a banana, or oats made with milk and seeds for breakfast, cheese sticks, boiled eggs, hummus, or Greek yogurt for snacks, chicken sandwich with cucumber and carrot sticks, or a tuna wrap with cherry tomatoes for lunch and salmon fishcakes with peas and sweet potato wedges, lentil Bolognese with pasta, or turkey/chicken meatballs with rice and broccoli for dinner.

Conclusion

Protein is a vital part of a healthy diet for every family member, supporting growth, muscle maintenance, immune function, and overall well-being. By incorporating a variety of protein sources into meals and snacks, you can ensure that your family gets the nutrition they need without sacrificing taste or convenience. Whether it’s through lean meats, dairy, plant-based options, or fun, kid-friendly meals, making protein a priority can lead to healthier, happier family mealtimes.

If you are looking for more recipe ideas, message us at wfitnesshorsforth@gmail.com and we’ll send you a high protein, family friendly recipe guide :)

Much Love

Caroline & Hannah xx